Apple has unveiled the Apple Watch Series 12, introducing a new Health Sensing System, the S11 chip, more frequent heart-rate monitoring and a new Readiness score designed to give users a clearer picture of their health and recovery.
The new model was announced during Apple’s September event and represents one of the company’s biggest health-focused Apple Watch upgrades in years. Apple says Series 12 delivers its most accurate heart-rate sensing in a wearable, with larger green LEDs and redesigned optical and electrical heart sensors.
Apple Watch Series 12 can now measure heart rate every five seconds throughout the day, while heart rate variability can be measured up to 24 times more frequently. The added data feeds into new daytime and overnight Vitals views and helps power Apple’s new Readiness feature.
The Apple Post previously reported that Apple Watch Series 12 could mark a major shift toward health tracking, with rumors pointing to continuous health monitoring and upgraded sensing hardware. Apple has now confirmed a substantial overhaul of the watch’s health-sensing capabilities.
Readiness gives users a score from 0 to 10 based on recent activity, training load, vitals and sleep. Depending on the result, Apple Watch can recommend that the wearer Recover, Pace Yourself, Ready or Go For It, with the score updating as new data becomes available through the day.
The S11 chip also powers a redesigned step-tracking system, which Apple says provides its most accurate step tracking on a smartwatch, as well as new Apple Intelligence experiences on the wrist.
Among those features is Audio Intelligence, a collection of privacy-focused tools including Sound Recognition, Live Rewind and Siri Recap. Live Rewind can surface the previous 15 seconds of a conversation as text, while Siri Recap can create high-level summaries of conversations for users to review later.
With watchOS 27, Apple Watch Series 12 also supports Siri AI, bringing personal-context understanding and broader world knowledge to Apple Watch. As detailed by Apple, several of the new intelligence features are designed around on-device processing, Apple’s Secure Exclave and Private Cloud Compute.
Battery life remains rated at up to 24 hours for everyday use, but outdoor workout battery life increases to as much as 10 hours, 25 percent more than the previous model. Charging is also faster, with 15 minutes providing up to 12 hours of additional battery life.
Apple is offering Series 12 in 42mm and 46mm sizes. Aluminum finishes include dark bronze, black, light gold and space gray, while titanium models are available in radiant gold and natural titanium.
Apple is also bringing ceramic back to the Apple Watch lineup, with Series 12 offered in pearl white and night blue ceramic finishes. The Apple Post reported shortly before the event that ceramic could return with Series 12.
Apple Watch Series 12 starts at $399 in the United States. Pre-orders are open today, with availability beginning Friday, September 18 in the U.S., UK and more than 50 other countries and regions.